Guy Refitt, 49, a worker in the oil industry in the state of Texas (south), is accused of bringing a weapon to Washington, confronting police officers, preventing an official process and other crimes in the incidents of the Capitol.
His children are expected to testify against him at trial.
Prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler, in his opening statement, described Reffitt as a “leader” of the “worst assault on Capitol Hill since the War of 1812,” when British troops burned down the House of Congress.
“A mob needs leaders,” Nestler said, later emphasizing that Reffitt was “the spearhead of this horde.”
William Welch, Reffitt’s defense attorney, denied that his client brought a gun into the Capitol, saying he never actually entered the building or assaulted anyone.
More than 750 people were arrested across the United States for his role in the failed attempt by Trump supporters (2017-2021) to prevent Congress from certifying the Democrat’s victory Joe Biden in the November 2020 presidential election.
Nearly 220 people have pleaded guilty to various crimes, but Reffitt is the first to face criminal trial for his role in the violent takeover of the Capitol, which left five people dead, including a police officer.
Reffitt, who has pleaded not guilty, arrived at the rally with other members of a right-wing anti-government group called Three Percentersaccording to the affidavit supporting his arrest.
Photos released by police showed Reffitt on the steps of the Capitol wearing a black motorcycle helmet and bulletproof vest.
According to an affidavit, Reffitt’s teenage son and daughter told the FBI that their father, upon his return to Texas, had threatened them if they cooperated with police.
“If you hand me over, you’re a traitor and you know what happens to traitors…traitors get shot,” they said Reffitt told them.
The man was taken into custody on January 19, 2021, and FBI agents seized an AR-15 assault rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol from his home in Wylie, a Dallas suburb. Since then he has been imprisoned in Washington and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Source: Ambito
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